Frequency congestion prevents small aircraft from making contact with tower prior to entering the ai...

Attributes
ACN	134123
Time
Date	199001
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : apa
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den tower : apa tracon : dfw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 610 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	134123
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Inter Facility Coordination Failure other

Narrative:

While on an IFR flight plan to apa, I was cleared for the ILS 35R approach into apa by approach control and told to contact apa tower at cassi (about 6 mi south of apa). Upon reaching cassi I reportedly tried to contact apa tower on the published frequency, but due to frequency congestion and controller workload, it took several calls to get response. Before the controller acknowledged my call, I was within the air traffic area. Since the controller was talking to several planes that were converging on 35R (the active runway), she was unable to handle the workload. As a frequent flyer to/from apa, it is not usual to find the least capable controller working on the weekends. It would be wise to assign more capable controllers who can handle the traffic load during busy periods. Also, controller frequently ignore attempts at communication, thus creating dangerous situations, especially when approach turns planes over to tower so close to the air traffic area, which can result in what happened in this occurrence, entering the air traffic area before tower frequency and workload allowed contact.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FREQ CONGESTION PREVENTS SMA FROM MAKING CONTACT WITH TWR PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ATA.

Narrative: WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO APA, I WAS CLRED FOR THE ILS 35R APCH INTO APA BY APCH CTL AND TOLD TO CONTACT APA TWR AT CASSI (ABOUT 6 MI S OF APA). UPON REACHING CASSI I REPORTEDLY TRIED TO CONTACT APA TWR ON THE PUBLISHED FREQ, BUT DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION AND CTLR WORKLOAD, IT TOOK SEVERAL CALLS TO GET RESPONSE. BEFORE THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED MY CALL, I WAS WITHIN THE ATA. SINCE THE CTLR WAS TALKING TO SEVERAL PLANES THAT WERE CONVERGING ON 35R (THE ACTIVE RWY), SHE WAS UNABLE TO HANDLE THE WORKLOAD. AS A FREQUENT FLYER TO/FROM APA, IT IS NOT USUAL TO FIND THE LEAST CAPABLE CTLR WORKING ON THE WEEKENDS. IT WOULD BE WISE TO ASSIGN MORE CAPABLE CTLRS WHO CAN HANDLE THE TFC LOAD DURING BUSY PERIODS. ALSO, CTLR FREQUENTLY IGNORE ATTEMPTS AT COM, THUS CREATING DANGEROUS SITUATIONS, ESPECIALLY WHEN APCH TURNS PLANES OVER TO TWR SO CLOSE TO THE ATA, WHICH CAN RESULT IN WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS OCCURRENCE, ENTERING THE ATA BEFORE TWR FREQ AND WORKLOAD ALLOWED CONTACT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Frequency congestion prevents small aircraft from making contact with tower prior to entering the air traffic area.